Russ Martin 

 Tim Ballard, BRSI Green Restaurant Project Manager

 

 

Over the past decade public awareness of sustainability has grown, a trend that has spread into the travel and tourism industry. Hotels, convention centers, cities, and states have begun to differentiate themselves through commitments to sustainability. Boston Green Tourism, for instance, has been working for seven years to build a green travel brand for the greater Boston area with a focus on attracting green conventions. Closer to home, the North Carolina Green Travel program was recently launched following the lead of dozens of other states who have established green travel programs. So is this new strategy paying off? Boston has been very successful in attracting green-minded conventions with a combined economic impact from green conventions of $38.3 million in 2008 alone. What about the general travel market? Is sustainability a viable driver of travel decisions?

 

At present, evidence shows that sustainability has great untapped potential as a driver of tourism. However, despite the initiatives mentioned above, no destination has succeeded in capitalizing on this potential.

 

A study conducted in 2010 by Community Marketing Inc. found that 34% of those who take overnight trips for leisure purposes considered themselves "extremely" or "very" eco-conscious. This is a staggering percentage and demonstrates the significant rise in environmental awareness over the last decade, especially among wealthier demographics. A September 2008 survey of 3,000 travelers by TripAdvisor showed that 32% of respondents intended to take more environmentally conscious vacations in the coming year (Emerging vacation trend: "lean and green" Boston Globe, October 3, 2008).

 

However, 73%of the eco-conscious travelers identified in the CMI study could not name a single place when asked what destination has done the best job of presenting itself as environmentally friendly in the last year. No domestic destination was named by more than 1.3% of respondents. In other words, there is a tremendous market of eco-conscious travelers that is almost completely untapped.

 

That all the green travel initiatives mentioned above have yet to grab the attention of travelers presents a wonderful, although time-sensitive, opportunity for the greater Asheville area to establish itself as a nationally recognized green travel destination.

 

While most of us here in WNC have mixed feelings about the tourism industry, it is undeniably a primary economic driver for our area. Without tourism, most of us would have a much more difficult time supporting ourselves. It also turns out that "eco-conscious" travelers are a good type to have around. According to the CMI study, they tend to:

 

• buy locally (especially crafts)
• travel frequently
• spend heavily
• eat local cuisine
• recycle while traveling

 

In short, eco-conscious travelers are ideal visitors. They seek to minimize the negative impacts they have on a destination while maximizing their positive impacts, including spending. With BRSI and the Asheville Independent Restaurants close to establishing Asheville as America's Greenest Dining Destination, the time is ripe for our region to stake its claim as a nationally recognized green travel destination.

 

 

April turns out to be "Earth Month" with all of the offerings for environmental activities, educational opportunities, green festivals, and events in the area.  We cannot possibly list them all, but would like to call your attention to a few FREE Earth Day related events.

 

 Three events, in particular, will highlight the Green Restaurants project, with the hopes of generating new ideas and partnerships for the future greening of Asheville!   

 

 

Link to events for more information below:

 

April 11 Green Drinks: 7pm, Helen Caldicott speaks on the dangers of our nuclear age

April 16 WNC Culinary Expo: 10:45am, Green Makes Cents 

April 16 Lenior Ryhne Earth Day: 7pm, Tim Ballard, Keynote Speaker

April 18 Green Drinks: 5:30pm, Green Restaurant Initiative Collaboration

April 21 Asheville Earth Day, all day, Lexington Avenue

April 21 Warren Wilson Fiddles and Folklore Festival, all day

April 23 BRSI Green Mondays: AIR Restaurants Lead the Way in Sustainable Practices (more details below)

April 24 Haywood Community College Earth Day, 10:30am-2:30pm (Sorry! Link not active)

 April 30: Green AVL hosts Building Science Talk by Chris Mathis  7pm

 

Hope to see you out and about!

 

 

 

 

 

BRSI is grateful for the support and sustainability leadership of Sundance Power Systems. Chosen to complete the solar installations for the Green Restaurant Initiative, Sundance demonstrated a high level of professionalism and passion for the job as well as impeccable technical skills in designing and implementing the different solar thermal systems. Dedicated to leading the clean energy transition, Sundance Power Systems has installed hundreds of renewable energy systems throughout the region since 1995. Prior to founding Sundance, Dave and Sierra Hollister worked as GreenPeace activists, and they see their work on renewable energy as a critical to offering sustainable solutions and reducing the environmental impacts of our society's use of fossil fuels for energy.

 

In addition to the work of empowering people with solar, Sundance embodies a deep commitment to sustainability by operating a carbon-neutral office. Its main location in Weaverville was chosen primarily because its passive solar structure was ready for solar energy systems with its south-facing roof. A single-collector thermal system was installed that meets Sundance's hot water demand, while much of the roof space is filled with a 10 kW grid-tied solar electric system. These systems serve as a demonstration of its commitment to sustainability while producing a good portion of the energy used in the building. To offset the remaining balance, Sundance is a Corporate Sponsor of NC GreenPower and heats with an outdoor wood boiler, burning hundreds of wooden pallets upon which shipments are received and thus turning waste into a resource.

 

As sustainability is about people as much as the planet, Sundance embraces opportunities to support educational events and initiatives in the community and employs a full-time Outreach Coordinator to work in this capacity. From teaching 5th graders about energy conservation to powering festivals like LEAF and Downtown After 5 with its mobile solar array, Sundance is a powerful presence in the community, showing people that solar energy is a viable solution. Sundance also values the collaborative relationships it has developed with leaders in the public sector, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations working on sustainability initiatives in our region. "We know that it takes a community working together to create positive change," Erika Schneider, Outreach Coordinator, said. Sundance is grateful for the synergy created among these groups and points to its relationship with BRSI as a great example of this positive teamwork.

 

A local company that contributes to the local economy, Sundance is proud to be a Living Wage employer certified by Just Economics. Employing a team of nearly thirty, Sundance is committed to creating prosperity for each other and within the greater community as our society restructures towards healthier and more just systems.

 

Check out Sundance's newly revised website at www.sundancepower.com for a wealth of clean energy resources and to learn more about Sundance Power Systems. BRSI is very grateful for the opportunity to work and partner with Sundance on important sustainability initiatives in the area. We appreciate the dedication and cooperative spirit that Sundance brings to the table. Please see Sundance's online profile for the solar component of Green Restaurant Initiative here for more details. 

 

Thank you Sundance for your contributions!

 

 

 

Restaurants employ thousands of workers, open early, close late, use millions of gallons of hot water every year, serve hundreds of meals daily, and play a very important economic role in the community. How sustainable can these resource intensive businesses become? Asheville is close to becoming "America's Greenest Dining Destination" thanks to the leadership of Asheville Independent Restaurant (AIR) owners who have committed to Green Restaurant Certification.   The Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute was instrumental in getting an NC Green Business Fund grant to improve the energy efficiency of 17 local restaurants, but these restaurants have gone above and beyond to commit to sustainability in all aspects of their businesses.

 

The Blue Ridge Sustainability Institute's next Green Monday on April 23 will showcase several AIR member restaurants who have gone green, as well as the Green Opportunities (GO) Kitchen Ready Program recently launched in collaboration with AIR.  Learn about the challenges and rewards of being eco-friendly, paying a fair wage, composting, sourcing local food, going solar, and training the next green collar restaurant workers. Tim Ballard, BRSI's Green Restaurant Project Manager, will moderate the session. Panelists will include:

 

• Tony Smith, Operations Manager for the Green Sage,
• Miki Kilpatrick, Co-Owner of HomeGrown,
• Dan Rattigan, Co-Owner of the French Broad Chocolate Lounge,
• Sherrye Coggiola, Owner Operator of Neo Cantina, and
• Mark Rosenstien, GO Kitchen Ready Manager

Come join us for what promises to be a lively discussion!

 

Green Mondays are held in the Board Room of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Building from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Green Mondays are funded by a grant from Progress Energy, with support from the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Purplecat Networks.

 

Short presentations from speakers will be followed by a general discussion.

    

Green Mondays are free and open to the public.   

 

Join us on April 23rd from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. 

 

Monthly Green Monday events take place at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce located at 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville.

 

 

Western North Carolina's universities and colleges are at the forefront of education on sustainability. The Blue Ridge Institute's March 19th Green Monday provided an opportunity to learn about the scope of their programs.

 

Dr. John Brock, Interim Executive Director of Warren Wilson College's Environmental Leadership Center, summarized Warren Wilson College's long standing commitment to sustainability in its operations as well as in its educational program. Warren Wilson has made a series of commitments dating back to 1986 to green its operations. Its service learning program includes environmental leadership internships and global exchange programs on sustainability. Dr. Brock gave examples of two of the latter, one in Kunming, China, and one in La Preciosita, Mexico. He concluded by inviting the audience to participate in a series of events over the next month, including an April 23 lecture by Dr. Tom Peterson of NCDC on climate change denial.  

 

Grace Campbell, a Lecturer in Humanities at University of North Carolina-Asheville, specializes in looking at the ethical component of social issues. She pointed to four values that undergird sustainability:

1. Obligation to future generations
2. Duty to increase/protect human well-being
3. Duty to reduce global environmental harm/transnational injustice
4. Stewardship of nature

She then showed how these values were reflected in sustainability education, which is part of the interdisciplinary core curriculum that every student at UNC-Asheville is required to take. Some of the benefits of this focus include:

• increased numbers of undergraduate research projects devoted to sustainability,
• measureable increase in the number and scope of courses incorporating sustainability, and
• additional integration of environmental content in humanities courses.

Pamela McCown, Coordinator of A-B Tech's Institute for Climate Education, introduced her Institute, whose mission is to: "Actively engage the local community on issues related to climate that put climate change into terms that our community relates to." The Institute's challenge is to effectively communicate about climate change, an issue that has become highly politicized. It does this by offering continuing education classes, free public seminars, and educational workshops and by engaging in public outreach. In addition to talking about her Institute, Ms. McCown gave a brief description of A-B Tech's Global Institute for Sustainable Technologies, whose mission is to develop educational and training programs to enhance worker opportunities in emerging areas of sustainability.

 

Ashley Edwards is a student in A-B Tech's sustainable technologies program and President of GreenPower AVL, a student organization. He was one of two student interns who helped on the recently completed BRSI/Asheville Independent Restaurants Green Restaurant Initiative. Mr. Edwards described some of GreenPower AVL's projects, including:

• advocating to certify A-B Tech's new Allied Health Services Building LEED;
• advocating for more bike paths and pedestrian sidewalks, for emergency call boxes, and for an outdoor classroom on campus; and
• bringing Chris Mathis, a well-known expert on sustainable building technology, to speak at the A-B Tech campus on April 30.

Edwards also discussed some of the activities he's involved in as a student.

 

Dr. Paul Knott, Director of Lenoir-Rhyne University's Center for Graduate Studies of Asheville, provided background information on Lenoir-Rhyne and discussed the University's new Asheville Center, which will begin offering courses in eight Masters Degree programs, including a Master of Science in Sustainability Studies (MSSS), in August. The MSSS will be an interdisciplinary program with core components in science, business, and public policy. It will have concentrations in:

• climate, energy, population;
• financial, human, and natural capital;
• field work.

BRSI is working in partnership with Lenoir-Rhyne and offering its support to the development of this program. The program will be housed on the upper floors of the Chamber of Commerce building; after the Green Monday program, Dr. Knott and his Lenoir-Rhyne associates offered tours of this space.

 

 

 www.blueridgesustainability.org/green-mondays-31